WASHINGTON - The Pentagon has charged six detainees at Guantanamo Baywith murder and war crimes in connection with the Sept. 11 attacks, itwas announced Monday. Officials said they'll seek the death penalty in what would be the first trials under the terrorism-era militarytribunal system.

"These charges allege a long term, highly sophisticated, organizedplan by al-Qaida to attack the United States of America," Brig. Gen. Thomas W. Hartmann, the legal adviser to the tribunal system, toldreporters. He added that the charges have been sworn "against sixindividuals alleged to be responsible for the planning and executionof the attacks" which occurred on Sept. 11, 2001 and killed nearly 3,000 people.

Hartmann said the six include Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the suspectedmastermind of the attacks in which hijacked planes were flown intobuildings in New York and Washington. Another hijacked plane crashed in the fields of western Pennsylvania.

White House press secretaryt Dana Perino said that President Bush hadno role in the decision to seek the death penalty.

"Obviously 9-11 was a defining moment in our history," she said, "and a defining moment in the global war on terror. And this judicialprocess is the next step in that story. The president is sure that themilitary is going to follow through in a way that the Congress saidthey should."

The military will recommend that the six men be tried together beforea military tribunal. But the cases may be clouded because of recentrevelations that Mohammmed was subject to a harsh interrogationtechnique known as waterboarding -- which critics call torture.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23108871/